GRAND RAPIDS -- The plan all along had been for Doug Wabeke to return to coaching at some point following his resignation as Grand Rapids Community College athletic director earlier this year.

He just wasn’t sure when or where it might happen.

Wabeke, one of the state’s all-time baseball coaching greats at the community college level, accepted a position Monday as a Davenport University assistant baseball coach, the school announced. He’ll coach third base and work with the team’s hitters and infielders on new head coach Kevin Tidey’s staff.

"It’s a unique situation, but it kinda fits right now for me," said Wabeke, 53, who remains the head of the wellness department at GRCC and a full-time instructor at the school. "It’s good to be back. I don’t think there’s anything better than getting back to the ballpark.

"I got a new glove. I got a new fungo bat. I’m ready to go."

Wabeke coached the GRCC baseball team from 1987-2004 and guided the Raiders to 14 Michigan Community College Athletic Association titles, nine regional titles and four national championships.

He stepped down as GRCC’s athletic director at the end of April after 16 years on the job.

"I am very excited to have Doug on our staff," Tidey, who played for Wabeke at GRCC, said in a news release. "He brings a lot of experience and has been where we want this program to go. He will open up a lot of new avenues for recruiting that we will need to take in building a championship-caliber program."

The two returning assistant coaches, Bob Youngs and Eric Lawrence, also are connected to Wabeke.

Young, who coaches first base and works with DU’s outfielders, formed part of a formidable middle-infield combination at GRCC in the late 1970s. Youngs played second base and Wabeke played shortstop.

"We played our first two years of college ball there," Wabeke said. "We went to the JUCO World Series our first year, so we’ve got a lot of good memories together. It’s fun to reconnect with a lot of people."

Lawrence, who pitched at GRCC while Wabeke served as athletic director, returns as DU’s pitching coach.

Wabeke said he looks forward to getting a fresh start in coaching.

"It’s a unique situation. Kevin pitched for me for two seasons and then he transferred to Aquinas," Wabeke said. "After getting out of the AD’s job, there was a void. I started thinking about my passion again.